---
title: "The Music I Used to Make – Personal Digital Graveyard #2"
date: 2022-01-18
url: https://learningischange.com/2022/01/18/the-music-i-used-to-make-personal-digital-graveyard-2/
author: Ben Wilkoff
categories: ["Blog"]
tags: ["college", "guitar", "High school", "music"]
---

# The Music I Used to Make – Personal Digital Graveyard #2

![](/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/5682C05A-3C23-47AE-8E92-517935B985F0.jpeg)

I used a PC laptop in college. It initially ran [Windows Millennium Edition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Me) (considered by many to be the worst Windows release), but was later upgraded to Windows XP. I typed academic papers on this computer. I read [Karl’s Corner](https://www.weezerpedia.com/wiki/Karl%27s_Corner) (Weezer news) on it too. And even though I am not proud of it now, I downloaded (many) MP3s and Movies on [Gnutella](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnutella). Oh, and I made my own music with a (pirated) copy of [Cool Edit Pro](https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/syntrillium-cool-edit-pro-v2).

With a microphone I didn’t really know how to use and almost 0 privacy in my dorm room, I recorded at least two albums worth of music. The first was all of my folk-rock-indie-punk ballads that had lots of harmonies and inscrutable lyrics. The second was my attempt at music for a film, which consisted of playing a single guitar or keyboard track and then layering as many other tracks on top as possible. Sometimes, I even liked how they turned out!

While I could reflect upon how each song came to be and what they are actually about, I believe that (for the most part) music should stand on its own as a testament to the time in which it was made. So, here is the beating heart of my 18-21 year old self: